Movie Reviews

Another glorious DVD set!

M J Heilbron Jr. | Long Beach, CA United States | 07/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh yeah...I'm totally addicted to "Yankeeography."And I'm a DODGER fan, if you can believe that.But anybody who loves baseball, must in some little way love the Yankees, or at least ONE Yankee. For those of you unfamiliar with this format, each 42-minute episode is a "Biography"-style show on one Yankee.Each three-disc DVD set contain SIX shows, plus an extra DVD's worth of extraneous clips and speeches and stuff.This set includes the following players:

Mickey Mantle - this is a nice career summary of the legendary player, and it gives you a sense of how truly amazing he was. While watching this episode, I felt like I missed out not ever having seen him play (Of course, I was like, FOUR, when he retired). If you are very familiar with his history, this may seem like old news, but many of the eyewitness accounts from living Yankees is inspiring and invaluable. Plus there's a lot from his wife and family which I found quite moving as well.

Mariano Rivera - I think this is a little early for a career summary for Mariano (like I thought with Jeter on the previous volume) but it sure makes a case for him being a) a great Yankee and b) a Hall of Fame candidate when the time comes. There's some nice footage of him in Panama...these little documentaries do make these players a bit more three-dimensional and less iconic...for the most part. There are some players, like Mantle, DiMaggio and strangely enough, Guidry, that come off completely three-dimensional AND iconic at the same time...

Elston Howard - I was relatively unfamiliar with Elston Howard, and after seeing this, shame on me. After seeing this episode, it is clear his name belongs with the other Yankee greats, based not only on performance, but on leadership. This was one hour that afterwards, I wanted to know more.

Paul O'Neill - after seeing this episode, you'll probably say out loud, "Whadda guy!" and it seems like most Yankee players and fans would do the same. He didn't have the numbers like some of his teammates, but his performance, gusto, leadership by example and passion for the game (...and the occasional water cooler mauling) all provide ample evidence of his greatness as a Yankee.

Lou Gehrig - very little can be added to the legend of Gehrig, as even the least-clued-in person on the planet knows most of the basics about his career and tragic death. I'm sure there are aboriginal tribes in the outback of Australia that know all about Lou Gehrig. This episode includes all the stuff you know, and then, thankfully, some stuff we don't. Or better said, it illuminates certain aspects of his career by placing them in proper perspective. You'll see what I mean when you see it.

Phil Rizzuto - "Scooter" gets probably the funniest of all six episodes, which seems perfect after assessing his career as a player and an announcer. This show neatly balances the two, making you more aware of his successes as a player, while demonstrating his amusing geniality in the broadcast booth. Holy cow, indeed.

These sets are great, and I just finished the third one.

There is definitely one thing that seems extraordinary about the tale of the Yankees, besides all the success and achievement.It's tragedy. Mixed with every high point is some sort of crushing, humbling low. Lou Gehrig is only the most well-known. Mantle's post-baseball demise was well-publicized, and Thurman Munson's death seems the most shocking (and is still felt to this day, listening to many of these players).There are more. One after the other. When I was young, I loved Catfish Hunter. I had no idea what happened to him...and now that I know, I wish I had appreciated him more...